Satan’s First Attack on Headship!

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 11:1-3 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Corinthians

Read 1Corinthians 11:1-3… I don’t believe it would be prudent to try and go

any further in this very difficult chapter without first taking the time to explore the depth and breadth of what verse 3 means when it says that the head of Christ is God, the head of man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man.

“Headship” is a God ordained principle and practice through which we are able to understand both the simplicity and the complexity of the relationship we have with God Almighty, the relationship God the Father has with God the Son, the relationship husbands have with wives, and the relationship men have with women.

In the beginning, God created a man and woman, male and female God created them, and God blessed them and told them to have children and to rule together over His creation (Genesis 1:27-28).

Man was created first, then the woman was made from some of the man’s flesh, and then she was brought to him, at which point we see that the man was made to be the leader and the woman was made to be the perfect helper suitable for him.

God named Adam, Adam named Eve (the one placed in the position of naming has authority over the one being named), and so, Adam was placed as the head over Eve (Genesis 2:7; 2:15-23). Adam and Eve were literally made for each other, perfect companions. Eve was not just a suitable helper, she corresponded uniquely to Adam. He completed her as she did him.

Adam and Eve were in total harmony and unity; in fact they were innocent, naked, without shame, for they knew no evil, and had no impure thoughts (Genesis 2:24-25).

As the “head” Adam was not superior to Eve, and as the helper she was not subservient to Adam. Adam had the responsibility to lead and Eve was to willingly submit to his leadership. Adam considered Eve as one with him in every respect, she was not a second class member of creation, she was not one of the animals; she was his wife, his co-worker and fellow steward over creation.
Read Genesis 3:1-7… Our very worst day is recorded here, when the devil attacks the authority [headship] of God – remember in 1Corinthians 11:3, God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman. The serpent doesn’t talk to Adam, but instead bypasses him and goes straight to Eve.

Eve, by nature, is designed to help, to follow. And this beguiling and beautiful serpent in the tree calls to her, speaks to her, not to her husband Adam, but to her.

Eve wasn’t given the responsibility of naming the animals, neither did God give direct orders to Eve concerning the tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; in fact, all that happened before Eve was created (Genesis 2:15-18).

In Genesis 3 Eve is taunted by the serpent asking her about what God had actually said concerning this tree he is now speaking from (v. 1), “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the garden?’”

This causes some confusion for Eve, remember, God gave the instruction to Adam and he should have passed them on verbatim to Eve; but notice (vv. 2-3) Eve’s response, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say,

‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

Now, God didn’t tell Adam that he would die if he touched the fruit, but we don’t know what Adam passed on to Eve, perhaps he told her she was not even to touch the fruit from this tree, just to keep her away from it.

Either way, the serpent now tempts Eve to be deceived, for he tells her she can become like God herself (vv. 4-5), “You will not surely die.” “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Perhaps the serpent even reached out with a piece of the fruit and touched Eve with it, saying, “see, you didn’t die. Adam, isn’t telling you the truth.”

Eve is captivated at this point (v. 6), “she saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom (she believed the serpent), so she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

Eve was totally mesmerized and deceived by the serpent, and very poorly led by Adam. She had been instructed not to eat the fruit, and yet the one who had told her that was right there with her, disobeying his own directions by eating it. Talk about really bad leadership!
Read Genesis 3:8-13… After they had disobeyed, Adam and Eve hid when the LORD came to them (v. 9), God called to the man, “Where are you?” To which Adam said (v. 10), “I’m afraid because I’m naked.” Hmm. God asked him where he was, not what if he was clothed.

What is God really asking here (v. 11), “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Godly leadership will admit to its mistakes, but Adam puts the blame on both God and the woman (v. 12), “The woman You brought to me, gave me some of the fruit and I ate it.” God now confronts Eve, and she also passes on the responsibility (v. 13) saying, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The New Testament confirms that Eve was indeed deceived, in 2Corinthians 11:3, Paul writes, “Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning.” This serpent was indwelled by Satan himself, the Deceiver (Revelation 12:9), “the serpent of old… called the devil and Satan, deceives the whole world.”
1Timothy 2:13-14, “Adam was formed first, then Eve. Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who
was deceived and became a sinner.”

Adam wasn’t deceived, but he openly disobeyed, bringing the weight of original sin upon himself, not Eve (Romans 5:12-17; 1Corinthians 15:21-22).

Satan’s attack on God’s headship has led to worldwide strife between God and mankind, and between all those who live on the earth; ultimately his attack on God’s authority will lead to his own destruction (Genesis 3:14-17).

The Sovereign Victorious Head over everything is God: Creator, Sustainer, Lord, Savior, and Judge, all of this, through Christ (Colossians 1:16-20).